Live fish package



A1189 9 1960 G. L. THOMAS, JR 2,949,882

LIVE FISH PACKAGE Filed June 27, 1958 INVENTOR. GEORGE L-THOMA$ 3'2.

BY Wm WVQMM ATTORNEYS LIVE FISH PACKAGE George L. Thomas, Jr., ThreeSprings Fisheries, Lilypons, Md.

Filed June 27, 1958, Ser. No. 745,153

2 Claims. (Cl. 119- 3) The present invention relates to a package forlive fish.

An object of the present invention is to provide a package having livefish contained therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a package for livefish which lends itself to the efiicient packaging of live fish foreither storage or display without chance of spillage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a package forlive fish which is simple in construction, and one which is economicallyfeasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will befully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunctionwith the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure l is an isometric view of the sack prior to filling with waterand live fish;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale with the central portion brokenaway, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view showing the sack of Figure 1 being filledwith a quantity of live fish suspended in water;

Figure 4 shows a further step in the production of the package of thepresent invention;

Figure 5 shows a still further step in the production of the package ofthe method of the present invention;

Figure 6 shows the finished package in isometric view; and

Figure 7 is an isometric view of a modified form of the packageaccording to the present invention.

In the production for packaging live fish in a container having alife-sustaining atmosphere, first an upstanding, flat, and closed endedthermoplastic or polyethylene flexible envelope or sack 10 is provided,as shown in Figure 1. One upper end corner of the sack 10 is cut away,as at 12, to form a slit.

Next, as in Figure 3, a quantity of live fish 14 suspended in water 16is introduced through the slit formed by the cut-away portion 12 intothe sack 10 to a predetermined level.

Next, the sack 10 is manually manipulated to compress the lower end andthen the upper end down toward 2,949,882 Patented Aug. 23, 1960 thewater level to evacuate all or substantially all of the air contained inthe sack 10 above the water 16. A tube or nozzle 18 is now introducedthrough the slit formed by the cut-away portion of the sack 10, the tubeor nozzle '18 being connected to a source of oxygen under pressure, andthe portion of the sack 10 adjacent the slit is compressed about thetube or nozzle 18 to make the slit substantially sealed about the nozzle18. Oxygen is now admitted through the nozzle 18 to the area within thesack 10 above the water 16, as in Figure 4, whereupon the tube iswithdrawn without permitting the escape of oxygen. Then a crimping toolor heating tool 20 is applied to the portion of the sack 10 below thecut-away portion '12 to seal the sack 10 with the charge of oxygen abovethe surface of the water providing a life-sustaining atmosphere withinthe sack 10. The finished sack 10 with its life-sustaining atmosphere isshown in Figure 6 ready for display or storage.

In Figure 7 a modified form of the sack is shown in which the open upperend is heat-sealed after one or more fish 14 have been introduced intothe sack with a charge of water 16 and the oxygen admitted to the spaceabove the water prior to sealing of the open upper end of the sack 10'.

Preferably, a funnel 22 is used when filling the sack with the charge ofwater and contained fish, although such use is optional.

The package produced by the method of the present invention may be usedeffectively in display of tropical fish for purposes of the sale of thesame, the package having a novel appearance and attracting the attentionof prospective purchasers when suitably displayed. The package producedby the method of the present invention may be stored in quantities in alarger carton without injury to the contained fish and without chance ofspillage during storage or transit. The advantages of the closed packageare obvious to the prospective customer and the package may be includedwith other parcels in the handbag or shopping bag of the customerwithout either danger of spillage or rupture of the package.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a flexible transparent closedthermoplastic sack filled to a predetermined level with live fishsuspended in water, and having the space above said level filled withoxygen.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a flexible transparent closed sackfabricated wholly of polyethylene and filled to a predetermined levelwith live fish suspended in water, and having the space above said levelfilled with oxygen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,542,957 Adams Feb. 20, 1951 2,549,040 Adams Apr. 17, 1951 2,652,807Washburn Sept. 22, 1953

